- Mmm. - Languidly making sounds Kai woke up. Through his sleep he felt strange kicks under his side.
- Aah, what? - He said, not realizing what was going on.
- Get up, we're going to your morning workout! - The old man cheerfully announced.
- So early? Can't we wait a little longer? - Kai smiled slightly.
He realized that the rest would not last much longer, but he just liked to make the old man nervous.
- Get up! You should start practicing at first light! As soon as the first rays rise, you should already be running around the cliff! - Mo said in a commanding voice, -Don't worry... When you harden your body and become a Warrior, you won't need to sleep for so long. A few hours will be enough, as you will be nourished by the energy absorbed from the environment. - The old man added with a cheerful laugh.
He thought he would scare Kai like that.... Less sleep, more training! But the old man was pleasantly surprised by the fact that at that moment the boy's eyes literally shone! It seemed that he had only dreamed of such a thing....
Kai quickly stood up and smiled:
- Let's move out, Master Mo!
Once outside, Old Man Mo first made Kai run around the cliff. He constantly looked at him and shouted out instructions and remarks. They included information such as: proper landing and ankle bending, back position, breathing pace, and even how to contract the muscles on his body!
It turned out that even something as simple as running was a science! Kai absorbed all the knowledge like a sponge. He was constantly straining his brain to control himself and do everything exactly according to his Master's teachings. This went on for about an hour. Gradually the sun began to rise and the forest slowly filled with light. Drops of sweat ran down Kai's face and body, which shone like morning dew in the sun.
- Good... Climb up the cliff! We're going to stretch your tendons now. Did you know that the tendons of strong beasts can be used to make a bowstring for divine bows? It's because they're very strong, yet elastic. This kind of symbiosis is very powerful! If you train properly, someday yours can also be used to make a bow! Hahaha! - Old Man Mo laughed, teasing the boy.
But Kai didn't care about answering jokes right now..... He heavily climbed up the cliff and slowly approached the old man.
Master Mo began to demonstrate exercises and techniques to develop the strength of tendons, and most importantly, to increase their elasticity! It was a very painful process, but for Kai, it was no different from an easy walk.... It could be said that he had developed a tolerance to pain since he was a child, so he didn't even make a sound.
Master Mo was constantly helping to apply pressure on his arms and legs to stretch them harder. He also gave a lot of advice. It was very important to observe the frequency, speed and angle of each movement!
Kai was thrilled! He had never been taught such a thing, and here was a whole bunch of nuances lurking in every elementary movement!
"This is amazing!" - He thought, painstakingly executing everything he was told.
- Boy, you are something! With such persistence, in a month or so, you'll be able to repeat the training without me! Work harder and follow all the instructions. My advice is very valuable, you know! - The old man said enthusiastically, not forgetting to praise himself.
- Yes, Master Mo! - During the training session, Kai was very diligent. He was completely absorbed in the process!
Kai performed each exercise like a fanatic in a trance. He paid no attention to fatigue or pain. All he felt in his heart was zeal and determination!
"The eternity of the Will is the third law. All living and non-living things have will, it's like an immaterial essence that sets all the laws of existence in motion." - He repeated in his head.
When they were finally done with this stage of training, the old man led him to the side of the cliff that was closer to the lake. Muscle training began, which also took place under the shouts of the unceasing Mo. He was constantly giving advice and correcting inaccuracies. Kai would get hit on the head with a stick every time he repeated a mistake that Master Mo had previously pointed out.
- Do it right! You're holding your elbow at the wrong angle! I already showed you how to do it right! Or am I praising you too soon?! - Shouted Mo, though to himself he was in complete shock.....
"This guy just isn't human!" - he reasoned shockedly, "I've seen many people in training, but none of them have ever grasped so quickly. His tenacity and resistance to pain is amazing..." - The old man continued to analyze.
- Let's do twenty more repetitions! - Under the old man's shouts, Kai kept getting better and better.
- Okay, that's enough... Now go to the shore of the lake. You need to go to knee-deep water and sit in lotus position, so that the water covers you up to your throat. This will help relax your muscles after your workout and speed up your regeneration process. But most importantly, it will temper your mind! - Firmly ordered the old man.
- You need to breathe in a strictly defined rhythm! You will start under my commands, and then you will continue on your own! But it will be harder than you think! - pausing, the old man
the water in the lake is unrealistically cold, your whole body will be shivering. Keeping the same rhythm won't be easy.... Only with a very steady mind and body control will you be able to calm down and follow my instructions.
- Alright, Master Mo! - Said Kai and started walking towards the lake.
He noticed the strange writing around the body of water again, but he didn't dare to ask about it....
- Master, what are those writings on the ground? - Kai asked interestedly.
- It's the Array Technique! With the right formulas I can create a formation that manipulates the energy of nature. It is partially fed by energy from outside, but sometimes I need to feed it with my own. - Mo calmly explained without going into details.
- Don't you think it's amazing that the water hasn't turned to ice at such a low temperature? And why is it so cold when this area is nowhere near such low temperatures? - The old man asked rhetorically.
- Array technique? How do you learn it? - Kai asked curiously, as he wanted to absorb all the information he could.
- You can't do that. You need a higher stage of development for something like that. You are still too weak. - Master Mo replied calmly.
- Master... Is there anything higher than a Cultivator? - Interrupting, Kai asked.
- You can sleep better with less knowledge. Don't rush your development and go about it smoothly. You will learn everything, but in time! Now get in the water! - Old Man Mo seriously objected.
Hearing the old man's instructions, Kai simply nodded and continued moving. When he touched the water, he immediately felt the coldness creeping into his bones. So much so that it hurt! It felt like something was being drilled into his bones! And the farther he went, the more bitter the cold was....
The lake had not very steep shores. Earlier, when he drew water, Kai had only touched it briefly. But now he felt the horror of the lake to the fullest. Kai sat down in one spurt and the water instantly covered him up to his throat!
At that moment, the cold literally made his brain pulsate! As he exhaled, cold vapor came out of his mouth. His breath was literally freezing on the way out....
Kai closed his eyes, and began to focus. Although it was difficult, his body was getting used to it over time.
- Breathe in! Youyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! - Old Man Mo voiced the rhythm of breathing, and Kai tried to follow him.
At first, the shaking of his body and jaw caused Kai to falter. But concentrating on the process, after about ten minutes, he followed the rhythm completely and did it without a single mistake!
Kai concentrated on every part of his body, his thoughts and the movements of his lungs. He could literally feel his muscles tingling, healing from the workout, and his mind was completely cleared. He felt a slight dissonance of pain and bliss....
Kai was completely oblivious to the pain in his bones, as if entering a trance. He didn't even notice that the old man wasn't even voicing the rhythm anymore, but he continued to follow it on his own. In his head, he remembered the three laws of that strange realm:
"The Law of the Flesh - there is a fifth law. Everything begins with flesh, flesh animate and inanimate, flesh material and spiritual, even the manifestations of nature have flesh."
"The Law of Energy is the sixth law. The development and activity of everything gives birth to myriad variations of energy, its combinations and kinds."
"The Law of Spirit is the seventh law. With sufficient time, everything receives its spirit, and its consciousness, which is the manifestation of the highest form of being."
"Exactly! I kept wondering what it all means.... If I want to be a master, I have to pay attention to every aspect. My body must be in balance with my energy and soul!" - Exclaimed Kai in his mind!
Involuntarily, a whole theory was born in his mind.....
It was like a Sudden Enlightenment! It was said that only with great luck could one obtain such enlightenment! There were legends that there were masters in the world who turned into Gods after such a thing! But no one knew if they were fairy tales or the truth. Naturally, everyone leaned towards the former...
And now, Kai was in a similar state of mind.
- Terrifying... - Old Man Mo muttered quietly.
He watched with utter shock as Kai sat there breathing with a steady rhythm... And this had been going on for half an hour already!
That was more than he had to endure. At the same time, it seemed like he had no intention of coming out. The old man decided to continue watching. He would only intervene if he saw a threat to the boy's life!
"The body is like a vessel. The bigger and stronger it is, the more capacious it is and the harder it is to destroy. Energy, on the other hand, is like nourishment and filling for the vessel, and spirit is what drives it all." - Reasoned Kai in his head.
"The lake and Master Mo's training helped me realize this! As long as my muscles are hardened and icy energy flows into my body relentlessly nourishing it... With a clear mind, I can control everything so that I can use it to my advantage!" - Analyzed Kai's state of mind.
After realizing this, he suddenly opened his eyes! In that instant, it seemed as if a light ripple had traveled across the lake..... He slowly took a breath in and out, and then began to rise. Kai turned around to the old man and said with a smile:
- Master Mo, this is amazing! I feel great! It feels like my muscles are almost completely healed, I'm full of energy again! - Kai shouted out contentedly.
- Good for you. Ahem... - Old Man Mo coughed dryly, ''Earlier, I purposely lowered the bar to twenty minutes since you're just a simple boy from the village. But you did well, keep up the good work. - Mo calmly gave out, but there were other thoughts swirling around in his head.....
"Just ridiculous... He sat there for over an hour... That boy is a monster! But we can't give him a reason to be proud. Pride is the harbinger of a fall. Let him develop quietly, and I'll see what happens."